Philippe Calia (b.1985, Paris) is a visual artist, currently based in Bangalore, India.
BIO
is work has received several awards and has been exhibited in various museums, galleries and festivals across Europe and Asia.
Working primarily with photography, video and text, Calia uses a conceptual approach to engage with notions of time and memory, often traversing dialectics between the personal and the collective, poetics and politics. Influenced by a dual training in photography and social sciences, he finds his inspiration in the everyday, putting it in perspective with an eclectic array of disciplines and references, from modern literature and anthropology to geology or theoretical physics.
Rather than seeking a particular style, Calia works with images of various kinds and focuses on their thresholds: between found and constructed, figuration and abstraction, moving and still. Nonetheless the making and presentation of these images in space is always crucial, allowing him to explore the situational dimensions of authorship and viewership. Experimenting with the form, language and temporality of the photographic medium in particular also enables him to produce layered images—which in return prods the question of photography as an apparatus essentially based on accumulation and extraction. Through the prism of various institutions (the archive, the library, the museum), technologies (the album, the digital cloud) or terrains (the city), Calia thus engages with various contemporary practices of image-making and memory-keeping. He sheds light on their discourses and economies, as well as the modes of preservation, perception and commemoration which they attempt to establish.
Rather than seeking a particular style, Calia works with images of various kinds and focuses on their thresholds: between found and constructed, figuration and abstraction, moving and still. Nonetheless the making and presentation of these images in space is always crucial, allowing him to explore the situational dimensions of authorship and viewership. Experimenting with the form, language and temporality of the photographic medium in particular also enables him to produce layered images—which in return prods the question of photography as an apparatus essentially based on accumulation and extraction. Through the prism of various institutions (the archive, the library, the museum), technologies (the album, the digital cloud) or terrains (the city), Calia thus engages with various contemporary practices of image-making and memory-keeping. He sheds light on their discourses and economies, as well as the modes of preservation, perception and commemoration which they attempt to establish.
Since 2013, Calia has been collaborating as a photo editor with PIX, a platform for contemporary photography in South Asia. Between 2015 and 2020, he co-directed BIND, a platform for photobooks in India with a public library based in Mumbai.
His work is part of the public collection of the Centre national des arts plastiques (CNAP), Paris, as well as several private collections.
CV
HONORS & AWARDS
Laureate, Alkazi Photobook Grant (2023)
Laureate, Support for Documentary Photography, CNAP (2023)
Finalist, Louis Roederer Discovery Award (2023)
Runner Up, Alkazi Photobook Grant (2022)
Honorable Mention, Dorothea Lange–Paul Taylor Prize (2020)
Finalist, Prix de la Fondation Jean-Luc Lagardère (photographie) (2020)
Laureate, “Writing and Emerging Forms” Grant - Civil Society of Multimedia's Authors, Paris (2020)
Laureate, Visual Arts Commission - Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris (2019)
International Artist Residency, What About Art?, Mumbai, (2016)
EXHIBITIONS
Laureate, Alkazi Photobook Grant (2023)
Laureate, Support for Documentary Photography, CNAP (2023)
Finalist, Louis Roederer Discovery Award (2023)
Runner Up, Alkazi Photobook Grant (2022)
Honorable Mention, Dorothea Lange–Paul Taylor Prize (2020)
Finalist, Prix de la Fondation Jean-Luc Lagardère (photographie) (2020)
Laureate, “Writing and Emerging Forms” Grant - Civil Society of Multimedia's Authors, Paris (2020)
Laureate, Visual Arts Commission - Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris (2019)
International Artist Residency, What About Art?, Mumbai, (2016)
EXHIBITIONS
solo
The Second Law, TARQ, Mumbai (2025)
Lethe, TARQ, Mumbai (2022)
group
"A Haptic Score", Serendipity Arts Festival, Goa (2024)
"Overlaps", TARQ, Mumbai (2024)
“Re-Inventing Piet. Mondrian and the Consequences”,Wilhelm-Hack-Museum, Germany (2023)
"Moving Definitions : An Invitation to Re-View", Rencontres de la Photographie d'Arles, Arles (2023)
"Ephemeroptera : Time After Time", TARQ, Mumbai (2023)
"SHOW", Venkatappa Art Gallery, Bangalore (2023)
“Re-Inventing Piet. Mondrian and the Consequences”, Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Germany (2023)
“This Ground, Plus : Kotachiwadi in Design Context”, 47-A Design Gallery, Mumbai (2022)
“Event, Memory, Metaphor”, TARQ, Mumbai (2022)
“Unsealed Chamber", Romain Rolland Gallery, New Delhi, India (2021)
“Indian contemporary Photography 1; confinement”, UP Gallery, Hsinchu City, Taïwan (2021)
“Indian Cities in Photography”, ENSA Paris-Malaquais, Paris (2018)
"Abandon", 24 Jor Bagh, New Delhi (2015)
“I Get By”, Diesel Gallery, Mumbai (2012)
“Light Sensitive”, P3 Gallery, London (2010)
collaborative
Afterlife in "A Myth of Two Souls by Vasantha Yogananthan", Chanel Nexus Hall, Tokyo (2019)
Afterlife in "A Myth of Two Souls by Vasantha Yogananthan", Musée de L'Elysée, Lausanne (2019)
festival
The Ajaib Ghar Archive in Jimei X Arles 2023, Xiamen, China (2023)
Heptanesia in "Illusions between the Sea and the City", MUAF, Mumbai (2023)
A Visitor’s Book in SIPF, Singapore (2022)
Afterlife in SIPF, Singapore (2020)
If The House (WIP) in Influences Indiennes, Beaucouzé, France (2018)
The Bodyguard Lane Album in Focus Festival, Mumbai (2017)
Post. in Delhi Photo Festival, Delhi (2013)
A Summer In Shahpurjat, Printer's Devil in Delhi Photo Festival, Delhi (2013)
Post. in "Short Film Screenings", Belfast Photography Festival, Belfast (2012)
Post. in “Film by Photographers”, Photomonth East London, The Rich Mix, London (2012)
Post. in “Anti-Clocks”, Maara Public Space Arts Festival, Bangalore (2012)
Post. in Open Show, Bangalore (2012)
Light Minutes in “Locating the Sacred”, SLPS Judson Memorial Church, New York (2012)
Light Minutes in “Photo-Open”, The Rich Mix, London (2011)
Light Minutes in “Photo-Open”, Old Truman Brewery, London (2011)
WRITINGS
The Second Law, TARQ, Mumbai (2025)
Lethe, TARQ, Mumbai (2022)
group
"A Haptic Score", Serendipity Arts Festival, Goa (2024)
"Overlaps", TARQ, Mumbai (2024)
“Re-Inventing Piet. Mondrian and the Consequences”,Wilhelm-Hack-Museum, Germany (2023)
"Moving Definitions : An Invitation to Re-View", Rencontres de la Photographie d'Arles, Arles (2023)
"Ephemeroptera : Time After Time", TARQ, Mumbai (2023)
"SHOW", Venkatappa Art Gallery, Bangalore (2023)
“Re-Inventing Piet. Mondrian and the Consequences”, Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Germany (2023)
“This Ground, Plus : Kotachiwadi in Design Context”, 47-A Design Gallery, Mumbai (2022)
“Event, Memory, Metaphor”, TARQ, Mumbai (2022)
“Unsealed Chamber", Romain Rolland Gallery, New Delhi, India (2021)
“Indian contemporary Photography 1; confinement”, UP Gallery, Hsinchu City, Taïwan (2021)
“Indian Cities in Photography”, ENSA Paris-Malaquais, Paris (2018)
"Abandon", 24 Jor Bagh, New Delhi (2015)
“I Get By”, Diesel Gallery, Mumbai (2012)
“Light Sensitive”, P3 Gallery, London (2010)
collaborative
Afterlife in "A Myth of Two Souls by Vasantha Yogananthan", Chanel Nexus Hall, Tokyo (2019)
Afterlife in "A Myth of Two Souls by Vasantha Yogananthan", Musée de L'Elysée, Lausanne (2019)
festival
The Ajaib Ghar Archive in Jimei X Arles 2023, Xiamen, China (2023)
Heptanesia in "Illusions between the Sea and the City", MUAF, Mumbai (2023)
A Visitor’s Book in SIPF, Singapore (2022)
Afterlife in SIPF, Singapore (2020)
If The House (WIP) in Influences Indiennes, Beaucouzé, France (2018)
The Bodyguard Lane Album in Focus Festival, Mumbai (2017)
Post. in Delhi Photo Festival, Delhi (2013)
A Summer In Shahpurjat, Printer's Devil in Delhi Photo Festival, Delhi (2013)
Post. in "Short Film Screenings", Belfast Photography Festival, Belfast (2012)
Post. in “Film by Photographers”, Photomonth East London, The Rich Mix, London (2012)
Post. in “Anti-Clocks”, Maara Public Space Arts Festival, Bangalore (2012)
Post. in Open Show, Bangalore (2012)
Light Minutes in “Locating the Sacred”, SLPS Judson Memorial Church, New York (2012)
Light Minutes in “Photo-Open”, The Rich Mix, London (2011)
Light Minutes in “Photo-Open”, Old Truman Brewery, London (2011)
WRITINGS
“The School, the Museum, the Library” in The Student Issue, PIX vol.15 (2018)
"Celestial Bodies" in Take On Art, E-Zine (2017)
"Decisive Arrangements" in Surge, PIX vol.11 (2015)
"Photograph(er)'s Habitat” in Habitat, PIX vol.10 (2014)
"Embodiments of Resistance” in Habitat, PIX vol.9 (2013)
“Representing the Other today: contemporary photography in the light of the post-colonial debate (with a special focus on India)”, Revista Forma, Vol. 04 (2011)
EDUCATION
"Celestial Bodies" in Take On Art, E-Zine (2017)
"Decisive Arrangements" in Surge, PIX vol.11 (2015)
"Photograph(er)'s Habitat” in Habitat, PIX vol.10 (2014)
"Embodiments of Resistance” in Habitat, PIX vol.9 (2013)
“Representing the Other today: contemporary photography in the light of the post-colonial debate (with a special focus on India)”, Revista Forma, Vol. 04 (2011)
EDUCATION
M.A Photographic Studies, University of Westminster, London, U.K (2009-10)
Research Master in Comparative Politics, ‘Asian studies', Sciences-Po, Paris, France (2007-09)
PG. Diploma in Journalism, MCRC, Jamia, New Delhi, India (2006-07)
B.A Political Sciences, Sciences-Po, Paris, France (2004-06)
Research Master in Comparative Politics, ‘Asian studies', Sciences-Po, Paris, France (2007-09)
PG. Diploma in Journalism, MCRC, Jamia, New Delhi, India (2006-07)
B.A Political Sciences, Sciences-Po, Paris, France (2004-06)